Chiefs dismantled the Buccaneers’ NFL-best defense and had moments where they couldn’t be stopped, our takeaways help to explain why Kansas City destroyed Tampa Bay.
Week 4 was a big revenge game for the Chiefs, a rematch of Super Bowl LV, but the outcome was decidedly different this time around. The last time Kansas City played Tampa, the Chief’s offense failed to score a touchdown and the Chiefs’ defense gave up four consecutive touchdowns to Tom Brady. But that was in the past, and we look towards the present and on Sunday Night Football, the present was not so kind to Tom Brady and Co.
This game did not disappoint, Patrick Mahomes had a great evening for the Chiefs, being creative, and a bit crazy but showing mad skills which lit up Twitter right after the game. The Chiefs won 41-31 against Tampa Bay and proved they can be the offensive powerhouse they want to be this season.
Patrick Mahomes completed 23-of-37 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday night, marking his 30th career outing with three or more touchdown passes. Moreover, Mahomes is now the fastest player in league history to reach 20,000 passing yards, breaking the previous record held by the Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Mahomes had more than one trick in his sleeve, and I don’t know if he had something to prove but he was just accurate all the way through. He spread the ball around, throwing the ball to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Travis Kelce early, and Noah Gray in the red zone. Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy have always had a creative and complicated playbook, and he used it one more time this past Sunday, especially in the red zone.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce said: “There was a sour taste in our mouth from last weekend, there was a sour taste in our mouth from the last time we were down here in Tampa. I’m going to put both of those behind me at this point. We’re here now. We’re going to roll with this momentum and how well we played today.” Patrick Mahomes agreed with Kelce in the press conference, saying the loss to Indy and the performance against Los Angeles influenced their performance this past Sunday.
And could we talk about the running backs? Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco found space all the time on the ground piling up 130 rushing yards together. Pacheco is emerging as a really good draftee and puts a bit of pressure on CEH’s shoulders now.
However, Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a strong night, he rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. Clyde needed to step up, especially after the dismal performance against Indianapolis where he had zero yards. It’s nice to see him playing up to his potential this season, and Isiah Pacheco has been a nice addition to help carry the load. Look for Pacheco and Clyde to be one of the best running-back duos in the league this season.
The defense also did a great job in Tampa Bay, especially against the run. They held the Bucs to negative rushing yards and Leonard Fournette had only 20 total yards of offense. It might be due to the injuries on the offensive line for the Bucs, but the Buccaneers had to abandon the run game early because it couldn’t gain a yard and they were so far behind.
L’ Jarius Sneed brought a spark to the defense when he stripped the ball off Brady’s hands and forced a fumble, it was a timely turnover for the Chiefs after they had failed to convert a fourth down off of a drop by Clyde Edwards-Helaire. A touchdown from the Buccaneers on that possession would have brought the Bucs within four points. It was also Sneed’s third sack of the season already, surpassing his previous career-best of two in 2020. Sneed and rookie corner Jaylen Watson have totaled five sacks for the defense this season, the most by a defensive back group in the NFL.
Altogether, Kansas City scored 41 points on the league’s No. 1 scoring defense. In fact, before Sunday’s game, they only yielded 27 total points in three games. The Chiefs (3-1) will return to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 5 Monday Night Football match-up with their division rivals the Raiders (1-3).
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